Thanksgiving Obsession

Several years ago (when we still traveled for holidays), the night before Thanksgiving, our flight to Utah was cancelled. After a few devastating hours of disappointment I decided I better make sure we had some kind of a Thanksgiving dinner the next day. I rushed to the grocery store and grabbed whatever I could find. It was just me and my husband but that wasn’t going to stop me. In my world, you eat turkey on Thanksgiving no matter what. I had so much fun preparing the meal and Kelly and I had such a pleasant weekend together that we decided to make it a tradition. It’s been 7 or 8 years now (I’ve lost count) and we look forward to our own Thanksgiving every year. I love to cook but it’s time consuming and my favorite foods aren’t exactly healthy. So, I save the big stuff for holidays and Thanksgiving is the biggest food event of my year. We love to share the meal with family or friends but even when it’s just the two of us, I still go all out. Ridiculous? Maybe, but the fun is worth it for me and we never have a hard time finding friends to come share leftovers with us. That has become a tradition in itself.

Here’s my menu for 2007:

Core Menu
Turkey
Gravy
Stuffing
Rolls
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry butter

Appetizers
Puff Pastry Brie Melts

Side Dishes
Green Bean Casserole
Baked Yams
Fettuccine Alfredo

Desserts
Pumpkin Pie
Coconut Cream Pie

Drinks
Hot Chocolate
Sparkling Cider

Figuring out how to prepare and serve a full Thanksgiving menu all by myself has been an exciting challenge. To that end, I’ve created a series of documents that help me plan and execute Thanksgiving each year. I can't upload the actual documents but I'll post the text of them here. They include my

Recipes
Shopping List
Thanksgiving Day Schedule

It’s everything needed to plan, shop for, prepare, and serve my 2007 Thanksgiving Menu. I’ve tested all the recipes multiple times and they are my very favorites. You could do three things with this info:

1) Use it to do exactly as I do for Thanksgiving. If you’ve never done Thanksgiving before I promise this will save you a lot of work and stress. You might want to eliminate a few dishes though your first time around.

2) Customize my plans to your menu and schedule.

3) Just read them and laugh at my obsession. You won’t be the first.

UPDATE: I can't figure out how to post the docs and they are all in tables so they don't post well on the blog. I'll keep working on this and find a way to post the info.

Gift Ideas

Thanks to http://www.organizedchristmas.com/, I'm halfway through my Christmas shopping. I am always on the lookout for unique and quality gift ideas and have accumulated a list of favorite stores and websites that I think everyone should know about. So here there are:

Red Envelope
This is a great place for high-quality, sophisticated, and unique gifts. I often get ideas from this site and then find or make a less expensive version. If you do purchase from them the packaging really makes a statement. I especially love the "Shop by recipient" feature of the website. They also have a catalog. Some friends and I recently figured out how to make our own $10 version of a $100 Famly Tree display that they sell. I'll post a picture of my tree as soon as it's complete.

The Land of Nod
I first found this store at the University Village Shopping Center in Seattle. They have a unique collection of old fashioned toys, books, furniture, and decor items that you don't see everyday. Again, you can get great ideas here and then find or make it for less.

Constructive Playthings
A friend just turned me on to this site. Toys for kids that actually require imagination and activity. I found some reasonably priced items and some over-priced ideas. My favorite section is "creativity" (from the left hand list on the home page). I want to get the Monet Art Activity Pack Item #: CHR-35L and the Masterpiece Board Books Item #: CHR-4L. I haven't ordered from them yet so I can't speak to quality.

Discount School Supply
I found this site while looking for art supplies. They have a broad and deep selection of anything and everything you might find in a classroom. And I think their prices are phenomenal. They offer free shipping on orders over $79. I once placed a large order that included lots of heavy items and didn't pay a cent in shipping. I was very happy with the quality too. Get a group of friends together and place one order to get the free shipping deal. Love their catalog too.

Dover Publications
Fantastic collection of classic books for all ages and interests. My favorites are the Dover Thrift titles that sell for as little as $1 each. We often give "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens instead of candy and cookies to friends and acquaintances at Christmas time. Thanks for the idea Alyson and Steve! I also love their art activity books and coloring books for kids. And to avoid shipping, ask your favorite bookstore to special order any title you want. They'll call you when it comes in and you go to the store and pay for it there.

Amazon.com
Did you know amazon sells more than books? My husband loves the electronics selection. This is where I go to actually purchase many of the ideas I get from other places. I almost always find the lowest price on books here. With free shipping on orders over $25 it’s a no-brainer. We are also big fans of the site’s wish list feature. We keep an amazon wish list for each member of our family. Anyone who knows our names can find our wish lists and it’s a fun place to dream. There are some pretty preposterous things on my husband’s wish list. Check mine out if you’re curious: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1WZQ3DI0GLD5N/

One of the best received gifts we found here was the annual Mathematics Calendar by Theoni Pappas. Every day on the calendar poses a math problem whose answer is the day’s date. It’s a unique but not too personal gift for the math geek in your life. I’m surrounded by engineers and finance guys so I’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of this one.

Creative Custom Lettering
If you're remotely crafty and want to give an inexpensive, personal gift this site has some great ideas. They specialize in custom vinyl lettering that you can apply to nearly anything. Last year I made and gave a couple family name signs like this: http://www.creativecustomlettering.com/inc/iview/257?idx=16&p=3236.

Lillian Vernon
This site reminds me of Red Envelope, but a little more focused on items for the home. I often see items I like from this site listed in Real Simple magazine. Great ideas and they have great sales too.

So I've shared my list, will you share yours? What are the best gifts you've given or recieved and what are your sources? I'm always looking for good ideas...

UPDATE: A couple friends have emailed their ideas to me:

- homemade jam (made in the summer) for neighbor gifts
- http://www.mindwareonline.com/ they sell "brainy toys for kids of all ages." Looks great. I'm excited to explore this one
- http://www.rainbowresource.com/ this looks like a collection of educational stuff (books, workbooks, science kits, toys, games etc.) I was especially interested in their Holiday and Gift Section, then within that, the stocking stuffers.

Halloween

Isabel went through about 5 different costume ideas before finally settling on being an Angel. We were at the party store to look for a cat costume when we saw the angel costume. I asked Isabel what she thought about being an angel instead of a cat. She responded enthusiastically so I picked up the costume to check it out. It was only $10 which seemed reasonable - until I looked more closely. It didn't include wings, just a halo, and the dress was a flimsy, uninspired, piece of polyester. I noticed wing and halo sets nearby for $5. I said to Isabel, “Look at this angel dress. It’s not very pretty. Mommy can make you a more beautiful dress than this. What do you think?” She consented and we left the store with the wings and halo. I had a lot of fun making her robe. I had a general idea of what I thought it should look like in my head but I didn’t sketch anything out or make a pattern. I went through all of my white, gold, and silver fabrics and let that inspire me. I sort of felt like a designer, draping fabrics over her shoulders, tucking and pinning, and then sewing a little here a little there. It won’t win any awards but we were both quite pleased with the result. It helps that Isabel already looks like an angel. Forgive me for being a proud parent. Aunt Jill did her makeup and that was fun to watch. Trick or treating with our cousins, Luke and Mercedes, was a blast. Isabel and Luke really "got it" this year. Their excitement was catching. It feels like a second childhood for me.

Organized Christmas

This is on my list of top 10 websites that have improved my life: http://organizedchristmas.com/

This is my 4th year following the site's 6-week Christmas Countdown. My family's last 3 Christmases have been more peaceful, joyful, and meaningful than I dreamed possible, thanks to the countdown. I'm betting this year will be the best ever as I learn more each year from the countdown process.

This year’s countdown began 10/21/07 but it's not too late to catch up. It requires about 2-3 hours/week of work on Christmas prep and by December 1st, you are totally ready for Christmas. By nature, I'm an 11th-hour-addict but honestly, the last 3 Christmases, by December 1st, the only thing left on my to-do list was "enjoy the season". Try it, you'll be amazed!

The site has a sister site that I also love, http://www.organizedhome.com/. I especially love the section on freezer cooking. If you don't know what that is, you should. I find it euphoric to walk in the house from a day of playing tour guide for visiting family or friends, excuse myself for 5 minutes to take homemade lasagna from the freezer, pop it in the oven and then wander back into the living room to chat with everyone while the lasagna bakes. Within 30 minutes my guests notice the aroma of dinner cooking and start wondering how I did that while also realizing they are as hungry as they are tired from the day's adventure. I just smile and relax knowing that a delicious, home-made dinner is minutes away; relieved that I didn't have to persuade my husband to drag his tired body back out the door for takeout, and thrilled not to be wasting a week's worth of grocery-money on one dinner. And of course I share my secret with my guests – I can't keep something so good to myself!

UW Campus is Unbelievably Gorgeous in the Fall

We decided to tour the UW Campus Saturday and we couldn't have picked a better day. I wish we had taken more pictures. We were astounded by the architecture and landscaping. The library's reading room looked like a cathedral chapel. The leaves are all changing right now and the effect was marvelous. It was a storybook day.

A Lovely Day at the Seattle Center - Umbrella's Optional

Friday we visited the Seattle Children's Museum with friends. There is a fabulous exhibit there now called Moneyville. It was a little over our heads but would be awesome for kids that can read.

The weather was gorgeous and after enjoying the Museum exhibits we basked in the sun by the Seattle Center fountain. Isabel's friend bought her an umbrella from the museum for her birthday (usually quite useful in Seattle) and the girls insisted on using it in the sun.

Thank You Grandma!

Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) is a favorite around here and knowing that, GranMary created this gorgeous dress-up for Isabel. Belle wears it as often as possible and doesn't understand why it won't work for church.

Happy Birthday Isabel!

Isabel turned 4 this month. We celebrated with family and friends. In preparation for the event I asked her what gift she wanted and what kind of cake she would like. I was suprised by her very specific answers: An ironing board and a pink and purple cake with polka dots and Princess Belle on the top. She was pretty pleased with the results and can't wait to turn 5.

Blueberries for Belle

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey is one of our favorite books. We got to live the story a few weeks ago when we went blueberry picking at a nearby farm. We even took a break to sit down in the dirt between the rows of blueberries to read the story.

Taking the Bus to the Library

The Seattle Central Library is one of our favorite places to go. It has the best storytime we've ever been to, fabulous book displays that are meant to be touched, stacks and stacks of books and adorable miniature modern furniture. We decided to take the bus with some friends this time--quite the adventure.

Getting our Little House on the Prairie Fix

Isabel dragged my barely used knitting needles out of a closet and said, "Mommy, I need to knit some clothing for my babies because they are poor and have no clothing (her babies are a couple of stuffed animals - an elephant and a dog). We have been reading Little House on the Prairie and I'm guessing that's where she got the idea. Wanting to encourage her interest in the domestic arts but aware that even a determined 3 yr old will not be able to wield two knitting needles I scrambled for an appropriate response. Then I remembered something I read several months ago about finger knitting with children. After a brief Google search I found this site: http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/FEATfingerknitting.html

15 minutes later we produced a small chain of stockinette stitch. (I hope my terminology is correct – I can barely cast on.) Isabel was thrilled with the process and the result. She needed my constant help but I don’t think it will be long before she can do it on her own. Family beware, you may receive some fingerknitted gifts for Christmas this year.

Long Live Hogwarts

SPOILER WARNING: Don't read this if you haven't finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and don't want to be spoiled!


As I turned the last page, read the last line, and closed the last of the Harry Potter Books, Deathly Hallows, I threw my arms into the air and shouted for joy. I was thrilled not just because Harry overcame death and sorrow but because Hogwarts did too.

I, like many fans, was dreading the end of the Harry Potter series—I felt like the magical world that so captured my imagination would suffer a kind of death with the end of the series. I was afraid that rereading the books would never feel the same again because I wouldn’t be looking for clues to tell me how it would all end. I also feared that the magical world and particularly Hogwarts, would be so changed that it wouldn’t feel like home anymore.

I relished the trip on the Hogwarts express at the opening of (nearly) every book, anxiously anticipating the adventures that surely awaited us (me and Harry) at Hogwarts. I knew we would face plenty of villains and danger but the laughs, thrills, friends, and triumphs would more than make up for it – in fact the evils enhanced my appreciation of the good. Neville’s 10 points to win the house cup at the end of SS wouldn’t have meant much without a year of Malfoy and Snape’s bullying and Neville’s own lack of confidence. And the hunt for clues was of course, the best part of it all; the exhaustive search for a tiny bit of information that would be the key to guessing the ending of the book and ultimately the ending of the series.

As the series progressed, returning to Hogwarts each year felt less and less like it should. The evils began to outweigh the good and in DH, it was a truly terrible place to be. I was heartbroken. Hogwarts was my escape, my safe place-- not just Harry’s. I’ve spent years now counting on a trip to Hogwarts to give me a laugh, lift me from a foul mood, and transport me from the daily grind into the wonderful world of Harry Potter. As DH progressed and I saw what had happened to dear old Hogwarts, I could hardly bear it. Hogwarts was dying along with Harry and I couldn’t see how JKR would ever be able to restore it to its former glory.

And then she did.

Through a series of amazing plot twists and her unique brand of genius, JKR brought Harry back to life, and with him, dear old hoggy warty, Hogwarts. As Harry and Ginny herded their family through King’s Cross, waved at all their old friends, and attended to last minute scolding’s and reassurances, I wondered how I ever doubted the permanence and reliability of Hogwarts. Of course it would always be there! Platform 9 ¾ will ever remain a gateway into the magical world.

I realized that the first read through of the series was a like a first kiss and the hunt for clues, akin to that terribly exciting, consuming, twitterpaited, beginning of a relationship. Both are fantastically thrilling and can never be duplicated but in a great relationship, it’s what follows that’s really amazing. I’ve reread most of the HP books at least 7 times and I’ve loved them more, every time. And it wasn’t just the hunt for clues that made it great—I discovered more to appreciate with every reading. It was like falling in love over and over again.

As I reached the end of DH, it didn’t feel like an end at all. It seemed to me, more like the closing of a circle. Jo’s beautiful ending breathed immortality into the series. I can’t wait to go back and read all 7 books with an understanding of the end in mind—there are now so many layers of meaning imbedded in this story that like Hogwarts, I doubt if I will ever discover all her secrets.

But I will keep seeking them—and now I know that the laughs, thrills, friends and triumphs will never end.

Long live Hogwarts!